Tainted Lies
by poplarleaves
Summary: Drew chuckled inwardly. "I wonder what I'm supposed to do when a girl becomes too attractive."
1. Pictures

Rip, rip, tear, scar, mar the perfection of that pretty, pretty face.

Misty had never been pretty, she knew. She was skinny, with spiky red-orange hair and gangly legs. No assets to speak of. Oh, yes, she'd told herself a million times, looked in the mirror and told herself that "pretty" didn't matter all the time, but deep down inside, deep, _deep down,_ she knew that she would always be the "runt" of the Sensational Sisters.

"Damn her," she muttered, speech slurred. "Damn her, damn her to hell."

She made a final rip to the picture of_ her_, that girl, that stupid little pretty little insignificant little _flea_! She stopped, panting with contained fury, fingers trembling and red. Shreds of paper littered the floor like so many pieces of confetti, each one holding a piece of _her_ face.

May.

"Damn her. Damn it all."

Misty groaned and covered her face with her hands, shoving aside the bottle lying beside her on the bed. It landed on the floor with a dull _thump _and rolled to one side. She stared at it dully. This was useless. She couldn't leave, couldn't go, couldn't do anything about it. That stupid May-girl had replaced her and started sweetening up to Ash. Stolen him from Misty, that's what she had done. Stolen him... and Misty could do nothing about it.

Sobbing, she drew her tear-blurred eyes from the shredded paper to a picture on her dresser. Ash stood between Brock and Misty, grinning and waving at the camera, his dark hair as messy as ever. Misty gave a wet sniff and smiled at the picture-Ash. "I love you," she mouthed. The picture-Ash didn't reply, only grinned. "Why can't you love me back?" she complained. "You just have to become infatuated with that May-girl, don't you, and you've only know her for, what, a few weeks? It's not _fair_. If only she could just somehow be out of the picture..."

Then a sudden thought struck her. _Out of the picture_. If May was out of the picture.

_Oh..._

A smile curved her lips. _It's funny,_ she thought, pulling on her coat unsteadily, _how ideas always seem to turn up right when I need them._

With a small gust of wind, she pulled open the door and stepped outside.


	2. Deals

A storm brewed outside as Misty hurried through the water-streaked streets. Dark, thick clouds covered the sky. Drawing her raincoat closer, Misty skipped over a puddle and skirted a trashcan, feeling the drops spatter on her coat. Who cared if she got a cold? She finally knew what she had to do. A shudder of pure delight filled her insides.

The cold air had sobered her somewhat, but her mission still burned like a brand in her mind. She had to rid Ash of May, once and for all. No more sobbing, no more plotting, no more useless moaning and complaining about it. This was a time for action.

At last. Misty halted before an apartment complex, shivering slightly but elated. She'd heard stories of this place before. Worst place in Cerulean City, where all of the thugs and shady dealers were. Bedraggled, mangy Pokemon wandered the streets, not knowing where their next meal would come from, attacking wealthy and poor pedestrians alike.

Exactly the kind of place she wanted.

She stepped inside the complex, gave a number, and was immediately directed to her destination. She noted the mildew, the cracks in the plaster, the barely concealed spots of blood.

As she passed a man smoking in the hallway, he gave her a leer that sent a chill racing down her back. He drew the cigarette from his mouth to speak. "Hey. You goin' in there?" He nodded at the room just down the hallway.

"Yes," she said, as bravely as she could.

"Heh. You watch out there. The guy's not called a lady-killer for nothin'." He gave her a long look, eyes raking over her body. "Unless you'd like to come over...?"

"N-no thanks. I'm not here for that kind of... thing," she finished lamely, and hurried - albeit a bit unsteadily - to the end of the hall. A dim light shone from underneath the door. She gulped, gathered her nerves (trying to ignore the man chuckling darkly in the background), and went inside.

To her surprise, the apartment was furnished rather well. It even had some sort of cheeriness about it. A lamp stood in the middle of the living room area, surrounded by two couches and an armchair. To the right she could see a short hallway leading to another room, and on her left lay the kitchen area. Slowly, warily, she shut the door behind her.

"Hello?" she called out.

"In here," a voice answered from the hallway, sounding neither rough nor unsophisticated. Misty crept toward the sound.

At the end of the hallway, a door opened onto a bedroom. It was lit by a single lamp placed on a desk by the left-hand wall. The sole occupant of the room sat before the desk, leaning backwards on a chair as he read a book.

Shirtless.

Misty nearly blushed. The owner of the apartment looked up at her, slightly startled, but recovered quickly. He placed the book on his desk and turned sideways in his chair to face her.

"Sorry, I was expecting someone else," he said smoothly. He paused to flick his perfectly styled green hair out of his emerald-hued eyes. "Is there anything I can do for you?" he asked, eyeing her wet raincoat and flushed face.

"Uh, yes. C-could you..." this time she did blush, "put something on?"

"Oh." He flashed her a quick smile. "Sorry. I'll do that right away. Wait for me in the living room."

Misty walked back to the living room area and plopped down on a sofa. By now she had come to her senses, and her arrival into reality suddenly brought with it doubt. Sure, she'd decided to do this, but now she had a suspicion about her sanity at the moment of decision. It was all right, though. Perfectly fine. She would go through with this, leave, and ignore it for the rest of her life. To distract herself, she let her eyes wander over the room.

_I wonder how many girls he's had in this place_, she thought silently. _It's odd, though. I thought he would be different. He actually seems kind of... pleasant._

"Hi." The young man walked in, wearing a dark sweater over a long-sleeved shirt, and sat opposite from her. He leaned on his hand and watched her, eyes piercing. It was obvious that he knew who she was. Silence fell. Misty swallowed dryly as she felt his eyes run over her one time and then settle on hers. "So. What did you come here for?"

"Oh. Yes." Once again her thoughts came back. "Yes. I would like to ask a favor."

"Oh? What kind of favor?" A smirk twitched at his mouth. "Would it happen to be... how would I say this...?"

"No!" she said quickly. "Er, no. I'd like to ask you to... to break the heart of a certain someone."

"To--" and he smiled, catlike. "Oh. Sounds fun. I do it all the time, anyways. Who is it?"

For an answer, she pulled out a picture, one that had escaped her shredding.

"Ah, May. From Petalburg. The gym leader's kid." He pondered the picture for a while, then set it down on the coffee table between them. "Could I know the reason...?"

"No," Misty said stiffly, and the other one nodded knowingly, albeit with some curiosity.

"Is that it? Nothing special to add? I just have to break her heart."

"Yes." She stopped. "Do you need payment?"

"Yes, I would think so," with a smirk.

Misty slapped a wad of bills onto the table. The young man gave it an appreciative glance.

"Good enough. Besides--" he gave a her a smile that spoke of experience, "--the rest of the payment comes in the fun of it."

"I'll be going, then." Misty stood and turned to leave. At the door, she hesitated. "So... nothing else?"

"Well, is there any information you could give me that could possibly give me an advantage?"

"Um." She paused. And then her face brightened. "Yes."

"What is it?"

"May is currently in Pallet Town, focusing her attentions on Ash Ketchum. The Pokemon Champion."

"Hm. That might be useful," he mused. "All right."

The door closed behind Misty, and the young man settled back into the couch, pondering the picture.

"May. Eighteen years old. Won the Grand Festival two years in a row. Father's name is Norman, mother's name is Caroline. Kid brother is Max." A low chuckle issued from his throat. "Oh, she's going to be so much fun to play with."

**_~roses~_**

* * *

**_A/N: _**I'm stealing the "Drunk Zone" idea from Bittersweet Romanticide.

Misty is slightly drunk. And, yes, she's not fully in the Drunk Zone, but anything can happen in the Drunk Zone, so if she's partially there we can say that hiring someone to break May's heart is plausible. Right? _Right?_

Oh, and that someone is Drew. He's hawt. Yes.

It's plausible, right?

*panic panic panic*


	3. Research

Misty woke up, groggy. Then she stared at the foot of the bed.

It was utterly and completely impossible, but she had the oddest feeling that she had done something really stupid last night.

"No, that can't be right," she muttered. "I went to the party with Daisy, drank a little, stumbled outside... I think. I think I went back home. Yes, I came back here. Then..." her gaze slowly shifted to the bottle at the foot of her bed, "and then I did something."

Memories began to trickle back into her mind, slowly and sluggishly, like caramel oozing off a candied apple, revealing all of the bitter, nasty apple flesh inside. It wasn't pleasant.

"I went somewhere else," she mumbled, holding a hand to her head. "I went..." Then the memory of a room and smiling green eyes. Her eyes widened in shock.

"Oh, Lugia. Oh, Lugia, no," she moaned. "I couldn't have. I couldn't have gone _there_. I was drunk, and I was thinking about Ash, wasn't I? And then I went off and did something stupid." She shuddered. "I was probably moaning about Ash again and then I went and..." she faltered, unwilling to think further. Then more memories, and finally the entire story unfolded before her mind. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"Okay, so I _didn't_ do that. Instead, I was stupid enough and just drunk enough to stagger to the apartment of Kanto's most notorious lady-killer and hire him to break May's heart. Great." A second went by before what she had just said finally registered in her mind.

A blank stare at herself in the mirror. "I wonder if it's too late to take it back? It's not like Ash even _likes_ May. It's not like I even like _him,_" with a hint of disgust. "He's still such a kid. _Lugia_." Then she shook her head. "I guess I'll just ignore it. I mean--" she scoffed, "--it's not like Drew would ever take my request seriously, right? Right?"

It was only until later that she realized she was short one hundred dollars.

**_~roses~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_**

Max stared listlessly at the computer screen, his giant glasses and too-small-for-his-age face illuminated in the dim room. The computer mouse clicked at random as he surfed several Pokemon Coordinator sites. His stupid older sister had asked him, _very_ nicely, to research her upcoming opponents for the next Contest. Of course she just had to pull their mother into the argument, who as usual had sided with May.

Dang females.

He sighed as the browser loaded yet another Coordinator fansite. Pictures of dazzling moves, videos of battles, and whole pages dedicated to particularly famous Coordinators - May being one of them - scrolled by. He proceeded to the "Coordinator Profiles" page and clicked on the listings for the next tournament. May was always too lazy to check the listings herself.

Dang older sisters.

_Click. Pause. Click-click. Pause. Click. Click-click--_

--and he sat bolt upright, eyes riveted to the screen.

"Drew," he read. "Male, twenty years, coordinating for ten years. Fifty-nine ribbons in total. Resides in Cerulean City. Previous Ribbon Cup runner-up. A favorite to win the Ribbon Cup. Pokemon are Masqueraine, Roselia, Flygon, and Absol. Entering with Flygon and Absol.

"_Dang_," Max said breathlessly. Even he had to marvel at the statistics, no matter how many times he saw them. This guy was _good. _"May knows about him already, though," he mused. "Still, no harm in keeping some of this info..."

The printer hummed into life as Max browsed the pages, locating particularly good pictures of the Coordinator. His brow furrowed in concentration as he stared at the pixellated images of the green-haired, green-eyed contestant. Something about him was decidedly odd. Max was sure that he had seen the young man somewhere before, and recently. Of course he'd heard something about the Coordinator before - heck, May had even beaten him in the past - but an image of this Drew burned in his mind. He just knew that he'd seen Drew somewhere before, and not in Cerulean. Sometime last week, probably. Somewhere around here...

Oh, well. He shrugged and pulled out the papers from the printer. He would investigate that soon enough.

At least, that's what he thought.

**_~roses~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_**


	4. Cereal

Ash sighed over his breakfast while he sat in the kitchen, watching the pieces of cereal in his bowl bob up and down. His mother, Delia Ketchum, hurried into the room and gasped.

"Ash! What's wrong?" She placed a gentle hand on her son's shoulder. "I always know something's wrong when you lose your appetite."

"It's... ah, I don't want to talk about it," he mumbled. Delia gave a knowing smile.

"Is it about Misty?" she probed.

"No," he said too quickly.

His mother _aww_ed and gave him a hug, one that he'd grown out of about ten years ago. "Now, Ash, it's all right if she's stopped calling. She _is_ a very busy gym leader, after all. You can't expect her to call every day. I even heard that her sisters threw a big party over the weekend. Besides--" and she started to busy herself with the rest of their breakfast, "--this probably won't last too long, either. The two of you are very, _very_ good friends, and I doubt that she'd ever completely cut off communication from you."

"Really?" He sighed again, heavily. "I doubt it."

"Yes, really," Delia stated firmly, hoping that the firmness would transfer to her son. "Yes. I am absolutely, positively, one hundred percent sure that she will start to call you again."

"Okay," Ash mumbled. He stood and thumped loudly upstairs, slamming the door to his bedroom behind him.

It was no use. No matter how many time his mother tried to reassure him, he knew differently. Misty had never done this before. Never. Always there, always ready with an encouraging word or some lighthearted bantering, she and Ash had become close throughout the years that they had stayed apart: he with his journey, she with her gym leader responsibilities. He'd always relied on her as his closest friend, closer even than Brock, but now...

Now...

He didn't know why. It had all started on that one day, when she'd called him and he'd had May and Max over. They'd all said hi, smiling, laughing and going over old memories. Yes, that had been fun. But then something had happened, and Misty had simply cut off the call. It was so sudden that Ash had had barely any time to react when the screen went blank. Her face - her smile - had disappeared into blackness, leaving only his voice as he called her name hollowly.

"Misty," he said again, softly, as if calling for her.

But of course she couldn't hear him. Somewhere in Cerulean, the girl of his dreams was spending her days without him.

"Pika-pi?" His little yellow rodent trotted into the room. "Pi, pika-pi? Pika-pi pika pikachu-pi?"

"Go away, Pikachu," Ash muttered.

"Pika-pi," said the Pikachu. "Pika-pi pika pikachu-pi?" it repeated.

"No, I don't miss Misty. I don't. Now go away."

The rodent blinked and stared at its trainer, worry in its eyes. After a long time, it sighed and slowly eased out of the room and closed the door.

Ash groaned and rolled over, smothering himself with his pillow. Silly Pikachu. Of course he didn't miss Misty; he was just worried. At least May and Max were visiting for the time being. Life in Pallet Town would be unbearable if they weren't here. Max was definitely an awesome kid, if annoying at times, and May was just May, as usual. She'd been acting a little odd, though. There had been a difference in her actions recently, something that would sometimes make him blush, make him feel awkward and yet awed when he was around her. He didn't know what it was, though. Of course, she did seem to be trying to get "closer" to him for some reason. It was starting to unnerve him. His mother had once mentioned something about May being at "that age" and that Ash should just completely disregard the difference in her actions toward him.

He hoped that she was right.


	5. Roses

May paced across the lobby of the Pokemon Center, where she and Max were staying for the time being. She was bored, she decided. Namely, Ash was boring. So _naive_ and _immature_ and _clueless_, even though he was older than she was by several years. Sometimes she wished that he wasn't so innocent, no matter how attractive it had been at first. Flirting with him was more of a habit than anything else now. It was a... what was the word? Routine.

Dammit. She'd wanted this vacation to be fun. All she'd gotten was an earful of Max and an eyeful of Ash. The two of them were still practically kids, for Ho-oh's sake. Where were the... the hot guys... and the beach days... and the laughing and the casual flirting and the rumors and the _nightlife?_ This wasn't a vacation. It was torture.

"Dammit," she swore silently, and stopped in her tracks. _I should just go back home_, she thought dully. _I should just go back to stinking Petalburg and stupid gym battles and stupid fans. I should just leave this tiny town and go back--_

_Home?_

Suddenly hope was filling her, a nearly insane hope as she looked up and locked gazes with likely one of the most gorgeous strangers she'd ever seen. He strode through the crowd, green eyes piercing, a light smile on his lips.

Well, he wasn't exactly a stranger.

"Drew," she said in acknowledgment, smiling. The green-eyed Coordinator smirked in response, as usual, and walked toward her. When he was within three feet of her, he tossed her a rose. She caught it with the experience of twelve years.

"A rose. Again." She plucked a petal from the blood-red bud. "Can't you think of anything more creative?"

"Who says I have to be creative?" Drew laughed, with a flick of his hair. "I'm the one passing out roses. Who says I can't do it?"

"I say so." May cradled the rose in her hands, deliberately refusing to meet his eyes.

"Really?" The green-haired Coordinator arched an eyebrow. "And why should I listen to you?"

"I've beaten you to the Ribbon Cup twice," May said loftily.

"Sheer luck."

"You're just afraid to admit that you lost," she teased.

Ever so slightly, Drew rolled his eyes and muttered something.

May's voice adopted a steely tone. "What was that?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all." Drew gave her a smile that nearly melted her insides like butter. "So. Are you planning anything for today?"

"Um. No," May said warily.

"Good." He took her hand and started to pull her toward the automatic doors of the Pokemon Center. "I've been wanting to get you alone."

"W-wait, _what?_"

He practically dragged her outside (though she wasn't really trying to pull away), that arrogant smile on his lips as he watched her. May immediately turned back toward the doors to the Center once he had relinquished his grip on her.

"Do you honestly want to go back?"

May stopped.

"You don't."

May was silent, not wanting to turn around and let him see the smile she was trying to suppress. She heard him turn to leave, footsteps slowly receding.

"I'm going."

For a moment, she battled with herself whether she should go. It was stupid, she knew. There had been enough headlines about Drew, Kanto's most notorious heartbreaker, for her to know what an idiot she would be if she followed him. Yes, she would be an idiot to follow.

It would be one of the stupidest things she could do in her entire life.

_Well, then,_ she thought, _I might as well be stupid._

She turned.

And she followed.


	6. Eyes

Drew's skin prickled as he walked away from the Pokemon Center, May only a step behind.

"Drew! Where are we going?"

"Somewhere," he answered cryptically. He glanced quickly up at the clouds looming overhead, then at his watch. Behind him he could hear May suppressing a groan of frustration. Oh, how he loved to goad her on.

"I'm going to go back if you don't reveal your intentions to me," she said warningly.

"Go ahead then."

"Drew!"

"What?" he said innocently, stopping to face her. She stopped, face flushed, panting a little. He had to clench one of his hands to keep himself from moving towards her. The sudden intensity of his gaze seemed to send her off balance.

"I... I don't know." Her expression was confused.

Drew turned again and started to walk away, but suddenly he stopped in his tracks as he felt a small prick of water on the back of his hand. Even as May opened her mouth to speak, the ground was speckled with dark spots, and the patter of rain soon became distinguishable. Grey clouds released their baggage in torrents as an ominous rumble sounded in the distance.

May spoke. "Crap."

"This way!" Drew pulled her toward a tree, trying to tug her by the elbow, splashing through the already-forming puddles. By the time they had reached it, the rain had intensified, and both of them were soaking wet and shivering.

"Great. Of all the people I could get caught in a storm with, it just has to be you," May said breathlessly. She flashed him a smile, and he laughed.

"There's a reason for that, you know," he replied, breathing slightly harder from the exertion. May noted to herself how _interesting _he looked with his shirt plastered to his body, every line of his chest showing through the fabric. For a moment the two of them simply stood there, staring at each other, willing each other to speak.

Drew took a breath and looked away. "Nice bra," he said, focusing every inch of his body on making the statement seem as natural as possible. May stepped back, startled, then blushed in embarrassment, pulling her thin jacket closer.

"Why are you looking anyways?" she sputtered indignantly. Her blush deepened as Drew's gaze raked over the rest of her. She shivered.

"I checked the weather forecast today," said Drew, nonchalantly. "I purposely brought you out here, at this time, just so we could get caught in the rain. Well worth it, don't you think?"

May gasped at the implication of his words. "Pervert!" she cried out, laughing, not knowing whether to be flattered or disgusted.

"It's a tactic. The two of us get caught in the rain, we go to my place because it just so happens to be close, and whatever happens afterwards--" he shrugged, "--happens."

A tingle of cold went down her spine as he turned to leave. "Wait wait wait." May stopped and stared at him. "Whatever happens, happens?" she said dubiously.

"Yes."

Their gazes locked, blue eyes and green.

"I think I like the sound of that," May said slowly. A smile tugged at her mouth. "Yeah. That sounds good. Let's go to your place."

"Because it just so happens that it's rather close," Drew stated again.

"Yes. Yes..."

_I wonder,_ May thought as she followed him, _what it is I'm really getting into..._

**_~~roses~~_**

Thunder rumbled threateningly outside as May and Drew stepped into his apartment. May shivered, dripping all over the floor, trying to stay warm. Drew went into another room and emerged with a towel. "Here." He handed her the towel. "Sit down."

She sank gratefully onto a couch, clutching the towel around her like a security blanket. Another shiver racked her body. Drew left, leaving her sitting in the room alone. Her heart seemed to be pounding in her ears for no apparent reason. To distract herself, she looked around. Boxes were littered on the floor, half of them unopened. Walls and floor were bare.

Drew reentered the room, wearing a dry change of clothes. He walked over to the thermostat, adjusted it, then slid onto the couch across from May. One arm rested along the top of the cushions while he dried himself with another towel.

"You just moved?" May guessed, nodding toward the boxes.

"Yeah. I usually stay in Cerulean."

"Why did you move?"

He gave her an amused look. "None of your business."

"What?" she blurted out indignantly.

"Personal reasons," he replied. _Actually, it's very much your business, but you don't need to know that_, he said silently. "Besides, how would you like it if everyone went around asking if you were dating Ash Ketchum?"

"Wait-- we're not dating!" May sputtered.

Drew smirked. "Exactly."

"Agh, you make me so mad!" May stood, intending to leave, then realized there was nowhere to go. She plopped down again, fuming.

"You're so cute when you're mad."

"Shut up," she muttered. Drew eyed her curiously, green eyes flickering. "Why are we here, anyways?" she said irritably.

"It just happened to be close," he replied innocently.

" 'Just happened to be close,' " May snorted. "Sure."

Drip, drip, drip, went her hair. She sighed in resignation and resumed drying herself.

"Want to stay here for a while?" Drew suggested.

"Maybe." She caught his eye and nodded. "I guess I'll just stay here until the rain clears up, or until it gets late. Would you happen to have an umbrella?"

"Yes. But there are conditions."

May looked at him sharply. "What conditions?" she asked slowly.

"You have to let me walk you back to the Center."

A slow, helpless smile spread across her face. "How did I know it was going to be something like that?"

"Great minds think alike," said Drew, raising his eyebrows at her.

"Yeah. Yeah, sure." May laughed and brushed aside a few wet strands of hair. "Of course."

Drew bit the inside of his lip as he watched her. _It's really annoying_, he thought, _how I have to break the heart of someone I actually respect. And... maybe want. A little._

"So. We'll wait until seven, and if the rain isn't gone by then, I get to walk you back," he stated.

"Deal." Then she promptly turned to the window and clasped her hands together. "Oh, great Kyogre, beast of the sea, please make the rain stop before seven PM today. Please, please, please," with a smile on her face.

Drew laughed. "Good luck with that."

"I can dream, can't I?" May said seriously. Then she suddenly burst into laughter, the sound trickling over Drew's senses like water. It was another few moments before she fell silent again, still smiling. "I sometimes really do wonder, though," she said, "if the legendaries can hear us when we pray to them."

"Who knows. Though I hope not. I'd like a chance to walk you back." Drew felt surprised at himself, because it was true. Every word. _How rare,_ he thought, and stowed the note in his mind.

May's mouth twitched as she tried not to smile. "Thanks," not knowing what to say.

Silence fell. May's eyes flickered out the window, then the floor, to Drew's eyes. No. Look away, look anywhere but his green eyes. The color of poison. She shifted slightly, and almost saw him shift in response. But it was just a trick of the light. Right?

Her heart started to pound, even as Drew saw his hand twitch toward her. _God, I need to stop fantasizing,_ he thought to himself. _This is getting ridiculous. That Misty girl is going to be pissed._

He cleared his throat loudly, making May tense visibly at the sound. "Since it seems like you're going to be staying for a while," he said, looking out the window at the rain as calmly as he could, "do you want to shower?"

For a moment it looked like May was going to say _What exactly are you suggesting?!_, but she caught herself and replied, "Yes. Sure. But I don't have a change of clothes..."

"You can use the dryer." When May gave him a suspicious glance, "I'm just. Letting. You use the dryer. It's down the hall, in the room next to the bathroom. Stop thinking that everything I do has some dark ulterior motive behind it."

"Fine." She stood and noted with a grimace that the couch was wet. "I'm going to shower. And _no_ peeping, loitering, trying to catch me in there, _nothing. _And I'll get my clothes myself."

"Paranoid, aren't you," he murmured, as she brushed past him. In truth, his mind was starting to wander in directions that made his insides tighten like rubber bands. He swallowed, mouth dry, and resorted to grinding his teeth at himself.

_This... is becoming a problem_. Then he chuckled inwardly. _I wonder what I'm supposed to do when a girl becomes too attractive._

**_~roses~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_**


	7. Towels

May sighed as the water cascaded down her body, caressing her every curve. This was exactly what she needed: a nice, long, warm shower. It was perfect. Absolutely _perfect_.

Aside from the fact that she was still at Drew's apartment.

This was so ridiculous. If her mom knew about this, she'd already be in her crazy mode. Not to mention her dad. And her idiot genius brother; the kid was so freaking protective sometimes.

She leaned against the wall of the shower and sighed again. _I hope that pervert doesn't try to get a peek at me,_ she thought, amused at herself for thinking of it. _He seems slightly interested, but I shouldn't be conceited. He's probably just playing around with me for his own amusement. I should just stop thinking about him completely._

_But he _is_ kind of hot._

May nearly gagged. Where had that one come from?

It was true, though. When the rain had begun. And with his shirt revealing features of him that she had been dying to see...

_Stop! Stop!_ she mentally screamed at herself.

_The two of us are in his apartment. Alone. And he's being so _amazingly _nice. This is heading in a very interesting direction, don't you think?_

"Stop," she groaned, and switched off the water. With a stubborn huff, she yanked the towel down, wrapping it around herself. _Distract myself, I have to distract myself. _Warily, she pushed open the shower door. No Drew. What was she expecting? That he'd be waiting outside, smirking?

She gave a relieved sigh and took a step onto the tiles, shivering slightly. Maybe it was the coldness of the tiles, maybe it was that her balance was off, but all of a sudden her foot twisted just as she was taking the next step, and she fell - hard - onto the floor.

A stifled groan issued from her mouth even as pain shot through her right ankle. Things just had to happen this way, didn't they? The hot guy, the rain, the shower, and then - inevitably - there would be the chance for the hot guy to act. Yes. An accident of some sort. In the bathroom. When she was nearly naked. It was almost as if she was part of some messed-up romantic fiction in which the author was practically dragging her toward the bed.

Within moments she could hear footsteps from outside the door. "Don't come in!" she shouted, trying to cover herself in case he actually _did_ come in. "I'm... I'm fine!"

"Of course you are," came the patronizing voice. She blushed in fury as he continued. "Are you... decent?"

"No!" A silent scream as the pain returned. "Ow... argh..." she groaned, gritting her teeth. "Don't even _think_ about coming in."

"I won't."

May bit her lip. This was going to be awkward. "Could you call someone for me?"

A slight hesitation. "Yes."

"Okay." She gave him the number and heard his footsteps recede.

With difficulty, she started to dry herself without moving her foot. Despite her efforts, more than once she had to clench her teeth and bear the pain in silence, albeit with a few stifled groans. When she had finally finished drying herself, she tried slipping into her clothes, starting with her top. At first it went smoothly, for the most part. However, the rest proved to be more challenging.

"Ow. Ow ow ow ow ow..."

"Are you sure you're okay?" came the voice through the door. Evidently he had already finished with his task.

"No, what do you think?" she spat sarcastically.

"Just asking."

_It's odd,_ she thought, _how he sounds almost offended._

Eventually she gave up on the rest of her clothing, hoping desperately that Drew would not get any ideas. Trying to cover herself as much as possible, she wrapped the towel around her waist and let it drape over her legs. She gathered the rest of her clothes in a bundle and hid the more private of her clothing inside. She blushed, even though she knew he couldn't see her. At least she was "decent", as Drew had put it. With a sigh of relief she called, "Done." The door opened slowly, and he entered, looking slightly amused. She gave him a tentative smile. "Sorry," she apologized, feeling slightly awkward and self-conscious. "This kind of thing just has to happen, doesn't it?"

"I guess so." He smirked back. Typical Drew. "Need help?"

"Um." She was sitting on the floor. "Could you help me up?"

"Sure."

He walked over and, trying not to move her too much, trying not to offend her, he slipped an arm behind her and supported her as she stood shakily. Slowly, she hobbled outside, leaning on him and hopping slightly on her good foot. He set her down - gently - on the couch, and fell onto the couch opposite of her again, eyeing her.

"I called your brother. He was... worried. And a bit scandalized. I told him that you're staying here tonight."

"I thought that you wanted a chance to walk me back," May said absently, prodding her ankle.

"Hah. Well, I'd much rather have you for the entire night. I'm not going to let you sleep tonight," with a hint of a smile.

May looked up at him from her ankle, which was starting to swell. "Stop being so suggestive; it's weird coming from you." Then a sigh. "I bet that Max is going to call me back any minute now, demanding to speak with me."

At that moment, the phone rang as if perfectly orchestrated.

"Speak of the devil." Drew stood and answered. "Hello?" Wincing, he held the phone away from his ear for a second. "Yeah. Just a second.

"Your brother, supposedly." He handed the phone to her, then with a grimace held his ear and mouthed the word _Owww..._

May took the phone. "Max?"

"Where. The freak. _Are you?!_" The boy's pubescent voice cracked. "It's raining and you've been gone for an hour and Mom and Dad are furious and apparently you're at some random guy's house, doing who knows what!"

"For your information, I have _not_ been doing anything!" she yelled. "God! You're such an idiot!"

A long minute went by, during which the two exchanged profanities as only siblings could. Drew simply rolled his eyes, watching May bemusedly. After the minute, May said a bit more calmly, "It's Drew. The Coordinator. I just happened to meet him at the Pokemon Center, we were walking, and then we got caught in the rain. His place was close so we came here. _Got it_?"

"Oh. Really." She could hear a smug note in his voice. "The two of you were _walking_."

"Yes."

There was a short pause, during which May could swear that she could hear the wheels turning in his brain. Finally a sigh came from the other end. "All right. I won't say anything... _suggestive_... to Mom and Dad. I'll cover for you. But you owe me," he ended warningly.

"Fine. Nothing crazy, okay?" She hung up and sighed with relief.

"How's the situation?"

She gave Drew a suspicious glance. "He'll try not to alarm them."

"I see." He simply smiled. She didn't know why, but she blushed in response. Subconsciously she pulled the towel a little closer.

"What?" she muttered, avoiding his eyes.

"I was just thinking," he drawled, "that since your parents aren't going to be _alarmed..._" he stood and approached her, slow and calculating, "we could possibly have a very interesting time tonight." He loomed over her, one hand resting on the cushions beside her head.

May gave him a disgusted look. "You're sick."

"And perverted," he added.

"And completely insane." She looked away. "Just stop it. It's getting old."

"Just what exactly are you asking me to stop?" Drew sat beside her, watching her with his piercing eyes. May felt an involuntary shiver run the course of her body as his gaze raked over her. Slowly, he leaned closer, his mouth almost touching her ear. "What... do you want me to do?" he whispered.

"I want you to shut up, sit back down, and stop pretending to try to rape me."

May's eyes were smoldering. Drew pulled back, startled, then chuckled. "You _are_ fun to play with, after all," he mused, half to himself.

"What are you talking about," she grumbled. To her dismay, she felt a blush creep up her face. "Just... just stay away from me."

He smirked. "Now, why does that sound more like 'I'm curious about what you're planning to do to me' than 'stay away'?"

"You're imagining things," she said flatly.

"I don't think so," he responded in a sing-song voice.

"Yes you are."

"I highly doubt that."

"Y-you're just being stupid again."

"I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"No." He leaned in close again, his arms caging her, nearly touching her as he kneeled beside her. Slowly, he lowered one hand to tug at the towel wrapped around her. She gave a strangled cry and pushed him away, panting with the exertion.

"S-stop!" May shrank from him. "Stop pretending."

"Pretending what?"

"That you want me."

She saw him frown slightly. "Why on earth would I be pretending that?"

"I don't know. But it's stupid. And I don't like you. At all."

_Unconvincing words_, Drew thought. "Oh, really?"

"Yes."

"Then would you believe me if I told you, right now, that you interest me very much?"

"No." She chewed nervously on the inside of her lip.

"Of course." He smiled his best patronizing smile. "Of course."

He moved away, not taking his green eyes off of her, smirking slightly as if he'd _won_, the bastard. He hadn't won. Never. He was playing his little mind games with her like a Meowth with a Rattata, and it chafed at her. Treating her like some airheaded child. She wasn't going to let him win her over. May glared at him as he retreated back into another room - presumably his - and closed the door.

Ho-oh, he was so _arrogant_. And... well... of course, she had to admit that he was good-looking; half the female population in the Pokemon world was hopelessly in love with him. May still topped him in Contests, though. After all, she _had_ won the last two Grand Festivals. But he still acted as if he was a Festival winner. The bastard.

Yes, that was what he was. A low-down, dirty bastard. Likely as not, he was playing with her to increase his chances at the next contest. Play mind games with the weak little Coordinator and make her slip up in the middle of a round, was it? She'd show him. _Bastard._

She fell sideways onto the cushions, sighing, carefully maneuvering her legs so that she didn't disturb her ankle. What a crazy day. First Drew, then his apartment, then a shower, then a twisted ankle. Stupid. Stupid stupid stupid. She had to be more careful. If she'd only stayed back at the Pokemon Center, if she'd just rejected his invitation to walk in the rain...

_But I would have wondered what it would have been like._

"So true," she murmured to herself. "I would never have known that this would happen. And I would always wonder what might have happened. Curiosity killed the Meowth. Or rather my ankle."

May closed her eyes, forcing herself to relax, consciously letting go of all of the tension, the instinctive fear she had held when Drew had been there. He always did this to her, always teased her and challenged her and made her fear him so irrationally. He scared her, every single time. A sudden thought struck her, and she frowned. Why did she fear him? It wasn't like he was actually going to _do_ anything to her, right? And he wasn't stupid enough to cause her any bodily harm. She had even beaten him in Contests before.

So why was it that every time she looked into those poison-green eyes that... that fear would pierce her heart like ice?

She shivered, remembering the first time they had met. The two of them had been ten, but Drew had already moved up through the lower ranks of Coordinators. He'd criticized her. Harshly. Eventually he had come to accept her superiority over him, but it had taken at least two years of training and battling and endless contests. Still, when all of the training paid off, it had felt so good to be recognized by him. It had been one of the rare times that he'd smiled at her. That night. Alone. Outside.

With the rose.

Yes, he'd always thrown roses at her. At first it had seemed a tad eccentric and maybe a little too feminine, but the rose had eventually become Drew's trademark. He almost always carried one with him, it seemed. And it did make him slightly... _hotter._

_Look at me; I'm turning into a fangirl now_, she thought, disgusted. _I should just stop. Yes, why don't I?_

She sighed for the millionth time that day and turned on her side carefully, trying not to move her ankle. Her hair was still wet, dammit. But that was alright. It was too late to dry it anyways.

Her eyes closed, and consciousness left her.


	8. Interests

The night had been long. Very, _very_ long.

Drew smiled to himself, absently twirling a pen in his fingers. Sunlight fell onto his desk, illuminating his face, caressing his flawless skin, lighting his emerald eyes. He smiled to himself, thoughts wandering to the girl who, at the moment, was still asleep on the couch in his apartment. May was interesting, and not just in the physical way. He had barely even touched her yet, and already she was giving him death glares.

He chuckled. Very interesting indeed. It wouldn't be too difficult to hurt her.

Aside from the fact that he didn't want to break her heart.

The pen dropped from his fingers, the clatter unnaturally loud in the stillness. It had been getting harder to lie to himself recently. Yes, May was still a bit immature, childish, cute... but in a way it was oddly attractive. Last night had been a testimony to that. He shivered, and not because he was cold. He'd thought at first that he was simply playing a game with her. Now he realized that she could easily play games with him if she wanted to.

Another shiver. He did want her a little. Maybe a lot. Maybe painfully so. Maybe so much that it grated on his nerves that he had to stay away, wall himself off, wall her off within his mind. She was so _innocent_. Well, no, not perfectly innocent. But close enough.

He didn't want to hurt her.

And that meant keeping himself at a distance, staying away, keeping whatever they had chaste. _God_, he thought. _Chaste. How long has it been since I acted like that?_

"Stupid," he muttered, not knowing if he was talking about the situation or himself. "Stupid."

The sunlight caressed his cheek, warm, lighting his emerald eyes just before they closed.

_**~roses~~~~~~~~~~~~~**_

May slowly opened her eyes, closed them, then opened them again.

"Dammit," she swore softly, and sat up. A wince, because she had accidentally moved her ankle. It was still slightly swollen. "I really am in his apartment, aren't I?"

"And why would that be a bad thing?"

Her head snapped up just in time for her to see Drew bending over her from behind. And smirking, of course.

"I never said it was a bad thing," she stammered. A treacherous blush began to creep up her face.

"You swore." The smirk twitched into a half-smile.

"That's unrelated and irrelevant," she returned hotly, "and I'd rather you not pursue this."

Drew's eyes flickered, just barely. "Who says I can't pursue what I want?"

"Me."

"And why should I listen to you?"

"Because... because..." She pulled away slightly as he leaned closer - slightly. "I rank higher than you as a Coordinator?"

"You're just grabbing blindly for a reason," he murmured.

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"No. Drew!" she protested as he slid his fingers around her wrist, the contact warm. She could feel her heart beating, fluttering almost, and from the way he was looking at her she could tell that he could feel her pulse as well.

"Your heart is beating so fast... _May_." She felt her breathing accelerate as his lips brushed against the skin of her hand. "Scared?"

She snatched her hand away with a deepening blush. For a long moment the room was silent save for their breathing. Somewhere in the back of her mind May noted to herself how anxious he seemed to be, how his chest rose and fell so quickly, how his eyes darted first to her hand, then her eyes.

"Drew," she said, the sound like the nearly imperceptible drop of a pin. "You're so weird."

"Unique," he corrected absently. Fevered emerald eyes searched hers. She wondered what he saw in her eyes, because all she could see in his was a sea of poisonous green. She saw him swallow, then he said, "You know what, May? I honestly don't know why I'm attracted to you."

"_Are _you attracted?"

"Very," he admitted, un-Drew-like. A hint of a smirk came as he said, "Of course, I don't expect you to believe me. Why do you want to know?"

"I... could use it as leverage in Contests?"

"Like I would ever let something like that throw me off."

May scanned his face and caught the barely visible lie. "Who knows," she murmured. "You might."

There was a long, awkward silence before Drew finally spoke.

"I think we should get someone to look at that ankle of yours. It might be sprained," he said briskly. He stood and straightened. "Do you need some more ice?"

"Er, yes."

She watched as he moved away, trying to act natural as possible. Then he was gone, and she breathed again.

**_~roses~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_**

Max lay on his bed, thinking. To his credit, it wasn't anything that young teenage boys usually think about in the wee hours of the morning, because young teenage boys usually detest thinking about their older sisters.

_Drew lives in Cerulean, but he's been showing up here, _went his thoughts. _Then May's gone for half the day and I get a call from some male person--_ he frowned, _--who says May sprained her ankle.  
_

So May was staying at Drew's place, he reasoned. And it was likely that the sprained-ness of the ankle was real. He wondered how she had sprained it.

A sigh escaped from him as he sat up, pushing the twisted covers aside. He groped for his glasses in the darkness on his desk before turning on the computer, then sent a hand into a drawer, fishing out several papers. He glanced at them before tossing them in the trash bin. Useless fan information. He wouldn't need it for this.

Taking a deep breath, he entered his email account and began to type.

**_~roses~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_**


	9. Signs

_Drew,  
I honestly hope that you have not done what I think you might have done to my sister. If you have, then I'm afraid that I will have to spam you, hack into your blog account, mail you threats, and flame you on your own fansites.  
Of course, if you haven't, then you're safe._

_For now._

_Sincerely,  
Max_

**_~roses~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_**

Ash blinked.

"So. May's been... _flirting _with me?" he said incredulously.

Max sighed and pushed his glasses farther up his nose. "Yes."

"And then when Misty got drunk, she went and asked Drew to do something to May. For revenge."

"Yes. She probably paid him, too."

There was a long, embarrassing pause, during which Ash tried to align his thoughts.

"Max, do you know how impossible that sounds? I mean," and he started to make gestures, unable to say what he meant, "it just doesn't seem like something like that would happen. Misty's not that... weird."

"Apparently her drunk personality is 'that weird'."

"How can you say that with a straight face?"

"I'm not joking, Ash."

"But it's ridiculous!"

"Fine," sighed the fifteen-year-old. "Formulate your own theories. Ask Drew himself. Or ask Misty. May might even know. All I'm saying is that the possibility is there."

"A tiny possibility!"

"And it explains their actions."

The trainer lapsed into an obstinate silence. Max simply watched him.

"Ash, didn't you ever understand what May was doing?"

"What?"

"Flirting with you, I mean. Didn't you see the signs?"

"Uh..." Ash thought back to the times when May had made him feel very, very awkward. "Maybe?"

"Gawd. You don't understand _anything _about girls, do you, Ash?"

The older boy laughed nervously. It was embarrassing having a fifteen-year-old kid teach him the basics of life. "No?"

Another sigh, and Max began to rub his temples. "Just read the signs, Ash. Read the signs."

_**~roses~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**_

The lobby of the Pokemon Center hummed with life as trainers passed by. Chatter and Pokemon noises filled the air, giving a pleasant sort of background music to the chorus of "We hope to see you again" from the Nurse Joy at the counter.

Drew, sitting at a table, stared at the screen of his laptop. He read something a few times, shook his head and chuckled.

"Protective little brat."

He pressed Delete.

May watched him suspiciously. "What are you doing?" she asked. The two of them had had to fend off a few fans earlier, but it didn't seem like there would be too much commotion over them today. Later, a Nurse Joy had helped her apply a brace to her ankle, and the pain from it had reduced to a dull throb. Now she sat across from Drew, waiting for him to finish taking advantage of the Center's internet connection.

"Nothing," he said quickly, snapping the laptop shut. "It's nothing of importance."

"Let me see," she insisted.

"No, it's nothing."

"If it was nothing, you'd let me see it."

"Can't argue with that logic," with a slight smile. "But no."

"_Drew_."

"Why should I show it to you anyways? I don't have a reason to."

"You could show it to me because I want you to."

"Hm... no."

May pouted. "I have a feeling that you're hiding something from me."

Drew smirked. "And I have a feeling that you're going to bug me until I show it to you."

"Was it an email?" she guessed.

"No."

"That's a yes," she proclaimed triumphantly. "Now, was it from... let's see... Max?"

"No."

"I was right!"

"No. No, you weren't."

"You're trying not to smile, aren't you? Yes you are. And you're not succeeding, either. Don't hide it from me; I know all of your tricks now."

"Tch. Not all of them." Drew let his eyes rake over her slowly, methodically. She shivered. "I bet you'd like to know all of my tricks, wouldn't you?" came the low murmur.

"No." A hint of a blush.

"That's a yes, I suppose. But of course--" and he leaned forward slightly, enough for her to see the light dancing in his eyes, "--there would be a price for you to pay."

"Gawd. You're so suggestive."

"I know."

Both of them smiled in mutual understanding. Drew slowly pulled back, gaze still fixed with hers.

"You know," May remarked suddenly, "I always thought you were such a stuck-up, arrogant bastard. But now--" she glanced at the brace on her ankle, "--you don't seem that bad after all."

"I'm glad I don't seem that way to you," he murmured back absently. And it was true. He was glad. And not just because he had finally won her trust.

Because he had a feeling that he had won her friendship, as well.

He was startled out of his thoughts when he realized that he had been gazing intently into her eyes for some time now.

"What do you see when you look into my eyes?"

May cocked her head and blinked at him. "What do you mean?"

"What do you see? What comes to your mind when you look at my eyes?"

"I thought you asked what I see when I look into your eyes, not at them."

"Same thing." _I think._

"Well," she began reluctantly, then stopped. "Wait. Why should I tell you?"

"I don't know. You don't have to tell me. I just want to know. No pressure," he added with a chuckle.

"Hah. 'No pressure' is such a horrible way to pressure someone."

"You're stalling," he said, teasing.

"Fine. I see poison."

A slight frown.

"I remember I thought of it once. When we were at your place. I don't know. I just thought, his eyes are the color of poison. And envy."

"Green as envy, right?"

"Yeah."

For some odd reason, she felt like she had just bared her soul to him.

"I'm sure I would feel envious of anyone who manages to keep your attention longer than I have."

"Shut up. You wouldn't care."

"I would."

"You're lying." Her eyes met his with a fierceness that nearly threw him off guard.

"No."

This time it wasn't a lie.

"That wasn't a yes, was it?" she asked desperately.

"It wasn't."

"Dammit."

"Does it really bother you that much that I'm interested in you?"

"No."

"That was a yes."

"How can you tell?"

He laughed a dry, bitter laugh. "I just read the signs, May."

"Seriously," she sighed, "just stop... stop doing this."

"Why?"

"It's annoying."

"But you want it. You _want_ me to chase after you blindly."

"No, I don't."

"Yes." He leaned closer. "You do."

"Don't just assume that I'm interested in you."

"Ah, now you're assuming that I'm assuming that you're interested in me. I didn't suggest anything this time."

"Tch."

A chuckle. "Speechless?"

May sighed and shook her head. "It's useless to argue against you."

"Good. Then we finally agree on something." He smirked and flicked his hair absently to one side, his signature hair flick - the one he had used ever since the first time they had met.

She watched him curiously. "Why do you always do that?"

"The hair flick?"

"Yeah."

"I don't know. It's a habit. It's just my way of showing off."

"You show off pretty often already," she remarked dryly.

"I know." Smirk. "It's because I actually have chances to."

"Are you suggesting something?"

"No."

"That's a yes, isn't it."

"That was a statement, wasn't it. Not a question."

"And that was a statement, too."

"Touché," and he grinned. On impulse, he reached across the table for her. She swatted him away.

"Arrogant bastard," she shot at him.

"Newbie."

They both fell back into more relaxed positions, and May suddenly realized that she had been holding her breath.

_Arceus, why?_ she thought, disgruntled. _I don't want to like him. I don't. I know I do, but he's just an arrogant bastard who flicks his hair and tosses roses at me. Right? Just some random pretty boy who has amazing skills and good looks and a good sense of fashion. And all the pretty boys always turn out gay, don't they? Why can't he? I don't want to like him. I don't think he's really interested in me. He's just playing. I don't want to be an idiot, dammit. He just wants to use me like he's used all of those other girls. I should have known this was coming sooner or later. Arceus, I should have known._

"What are you thinking, May?"

Her head snapped up, and blue eyes searched green. The breath caught in her throat, because he was serious. Deadly serious. Deadly as poison. There was that look on his face, that small hint of suffering, that barely concealed torture that gave him away. Or perhaps he was just acting.

Was it possible to act to that extent?

"I was thinking," a shaky breath, "that you're just an arrogant bastard who likes to play around with girls. And that I'm the next one. And--" she paused, "--that I really, _really _don't want to like you."

"But you do."

There was no keeping it from him now. She knew that he already knew. "Yes."

For a long moment he closed his eyes, relinquishing his mental hold on her, and she breathed. Arceus, why was it so hard to breathe around him? Some odd feeling made her want to cry and smile and laugh at the same time. It was so odd. She felt tired and happy, and it didn't make any sense. At all.

"So. You're admitting it." His eyes opened. Pale green against pale skin. "You're admitting that you like me."

"Yes."

A smile twitched at the edges of his mouth. "Do you know," he began, "how much of a relief it is to hear that one word?"

"You mean 'yes'?"

"Yes." Then he laughed. "Yes."

May couldn't help but smile. "You are so weird."

"And that's why you like me."

"I don't know. I don't know why. It's something in the way you walk or the way you talk, or maybe it's because you're always challenging me to become better, even when I've already surpassed you. Maybe it's because of your sense of fashion. Maybe it's because you have hordes of girls chasing after you. I don't know. Don't ask me. Ask someone who knows me better than I know myself. Maybe my mom."

"Your mom?" somewhat incredulously.

"Yeah. Or Max." The sound of her laugh was like rain - pure, beautiful, life-giving. "Just listen to me. My kid brother knows me better than I know myself. Arceus. It sounds so stupid, doesn't it?"

To her surprise, he hesitated before answering. "Maybe not so stupid if you read the email he sent me."

"What?" She tried to stand, then realized she still had a sprained ankle. "What email?"

"The one that you guessed was his."

"I was actually right?"

"Seriously, May, you need some more self-esteem. Want some of mine?"

"Shut up." She pulled the laptop toward herself and scanned Drew's inbox. "Where is it?"

"I deleted it, silly."

"Dammitall, Drew!" With a few clicks, she found the discarded email sitting in his "Deleted Items" folder and began to read. When she finished, she broke into laughter. "Oh gawd. I knew it. I knew he would do something like this. You were right; he _is_ a protective little brat."

"Isn't he?"

"Very. I mean, I'm glad he's protective and all, but he doesn't need to worry about me this much."

"I'm sure some of his fears are justified," he drawled. One of his hands absently picked at a spot on the table, but his eyes were fixed on her.

"Yeah, very justified, considering your character." May threw him a bemused glance. "Even I don't trust you sometimes."

"Really?"

There was the sound of a metal scraping the floor, and suddenly Drew was leaning over her, eyes locked onto her face.

Her heart stopped. "Drew," May stammered, "what are you doing?"

"Justifying your fears," he responded smoothly, moving ever closer. One hand pressed into the small of her back, and the other moved slowly down her arm, down to her hand. He lifted it to his lips, and those emerald green eyes gleamed at her. With care, he sent his mouth up to her neck, to the hollow beneath her ear. A shiver from him as his tongue flickered against her skin. Goosebumps raced over her.

"Drew - gawd - stop it."

She pushed him away, blushing, but he merely held her more loosely. "May," he whispered. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I should be asking you the same question," she retorted, but was cut off when he kissed her - _Finally_, she thought - without hesitation. A wave of feeling, some of it fear, made her pulse pound as his lips moved against hers almost savagely.

"Drew--" as they surfaced. "Drew, other people are looking. Stop. Stop."

His eyes were pained as he pulled away. "I don't want to."

"Save it until we go someplace where there aren't so many people. You're going to make the paparazzi run after us."

"Less people, hm?" He arched an elegant brow, smirking. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"I hope not. Gawd, I hope not."

"Oh, I'm sure you are," he growled low.

"Drew! I have a sprained ankle, for Arceus' sake!"

But he was already leading her out the door, laptop in hand, and all she could do was try to limp along and wonder where exactly he was taking her. However, leaving the Center proved to be a more difficult task than Drew had figured.

"Drew."

The green-eyed Coordinator looked down. "Hello, Max. How's the weather down there?" he joked. Behind him, he heard May gasp.

"Very good, thank you," said the younger boy, dryly. "And where are you taking my sister? My _injured_ sister? I would also like to know how she was injured."

"I slipped," said May, quickly.

"Where did you slip?"

"The shower."

"And why--" the teenager's eyes narrowed, focusing on Drew, "--was she in the shower?"

"Does everything I do have to have a dark, ulterior motive to it?" Drew said exasperatedly. "You two don't seem to trust me very much, do you?"

"We don't," the siblings said in unison.

"Wonderful," Drew muttered to himself.

"Again, why--"

"The two of us got caught in the rain, so we went to his place. He let me shower. _Alone_. Geez, Max, you're so perverted."

Max's face colored. "You're one to be talking."

"I swear, I am going to kill you someday!"

"Fine, fine, truce." He waved away the insult. "Now that that's cleared up, I'd like to ask you again: where the _freak_ do you think you're going?"

"Nowhere," May and Drew said together. Max's eye twitched.

"Tell me."

"Nowhere," stated Drew firmly.

"Do you want my dad knowing about this?" Max threatened.

"No, so I'd like _you _to keep your nose out of _my _business."

"Drew!" May pulled her wrist out of his grip. There was a long silence as both men turned to her. "Why are you doing this? Just tell him. Hell, I don't even know where you plan to take me. I don't even know why I'm following you."

"Because you like me."

May watched as Max went livid with anger.

"Drew, I don't think that saying that is such a good idea."

"Why? He's your brother. He should know, right?" That arrogant, arrogant smirk curved his lips, and May was suddenly reminded of how soft they had been when he had kissed her. She blushed.

"Drew!" Max roared. "What the _hell _have you been doing to my sister?"

"What are you talking about?"

"She's blushing! May does _not_ blush!"

"Grow up, kid." Drew gave the younger boy a little push. "These things happen. You can't protect your sister forever, you know."

"Who paid you?"

The air went still.

"I'm asking you: who paid you?" The smile on Max's face widened into a smug grin. "Misty Waterflower, right? Cerulean City gym leader."

"Shut up." Unnerved, the coordinator tried to push past Max, but was stopped when the boy's hand shot out and grabbed his arm. He flinched.

"You were _paid _to come here and do something to my sister, weren't you? I knew it," when the look on Drew's face became one of blank fury, "I knew that you were up to something!"

"Max!" May cried.

"He's been deluding you, May! He was paid by Misty to come here and do something to you, all because of your stupid flirting with Ash. It was an accident, and I know it doesn't seem likely, but that's exactly what happened. Isn't that right, Drew?"

"To break your heart."

"What?" May whispered. Somehow, it seemed as if the entire Pokemon Center had gone still. She feared what she would see if she turned to look.

"She told me to break your heart." The look on his face was unfathomable. "Silly, isn't it? That's what I thought, too. She was drunk when she went to my place. I thought, what's some gym leader doing here? And then when she brought you up--" a smile broke out on his face, a smile that had no warmth, "--I thought, it's a miracle. Because I had been thinking about coming here to visit you. To see you again. It was like a sign from the gods."

"To break... my heart?" Her mind couldn't work fast enough; it was too confusing. "And to see me again."

"Yes." Then he turned to Max. "So you found me out. It's not as horrifying as you thought, is it? Exactly. As I said before, don't come butting into other people's business. You don't know how wrong you might be." A pause, and he turned back and took May by the wrist again. "You coming?" he asked, looking at - no, into - her eyes.

She nodded numbly and let him lead her out the door, leaving Max behind, staring at them.

It was a long time before either spoke. Drew walked quickly, his pace impatient, clipped, each step filled with an energy that May had never before seen him possess. When they were far away from the Pokemon Center, deep into the trees that surrounded Pallet Town, he stopped abruptly and slammed a fist against a tree. His laptop dropped to the ground beside him.

"Dammit." Another curse, and he hit the tree again. "Dammit, May."

The other Coordinator hesitated. "What?"

"How does it feel to know that you were right?"

She cocked her head the same way she had done before. "Right about what?"

"The fact that I'm using you."

A nervous laugh. "Are you?"

She watched as he straightened, took a deep breath. "I don't know." He turned, and his eyes were filled with pain. Again. A thought wandered into her mind: was she the reason for his pain? "I don't know if I'm here for you or myself."

"Why would you be here for me?" Another laugh, because it was just so funny. So terribly, horribly funny. "Liking is a selfish thing. Loving is a selfless one. Liking is wanting. Wanting is demanding. It wants its own way. It doesn't listen to reason. All it wants is to be satisfied. But loving--" a sigh, "--is giving. Giving does the best for the other person. Giving is thinking about what would help them the most. It's about giving up your time and your feelings and your own pleasure for someone or something else. So I ask you: do you like me? Or do you love me?"

A bewildered smile somehow reached his eyes. "Why are you asking me this?"

"I don't know. You don't have to tell me. I just want to know. No pressure," and she watched as he flinched at the sound of his own words.

" 'No pressure' is such a horrible way to pressure someone," he whispered back. Oh, the irony. Their roles were reversed.

"You're stalling," she said quietly, still following the script.

"Fine." He sighed, passed a hand over his face, let the hand fall to his side. "Fine." The edges of his eyes were bright. "Fine."

A slight frown, because there was silence. The oppressing kind.

"Is that your answer?"

"No."

Bittersweet, her smile threw daggers into his soul. "That wasn't a yes."

"How can you tell?"

"I just read the signs, Drew." She blinked as she remembered. "You said earlier that it was like a sign from the gods that Misty told you to see me. What did you mean?"

"It'll seem silly," he muttered, glad that the oppressing aura had lifted.

"Just tell me."

"I..." shaking his head, "I thought about you for so long. I don't know why. I've always thought about you."

"What?"

"I think about you every day."

"What?"

"But I never had the courage or the motivation to see you."

"_What_?"

"And I don't really know why. The only explanation I could find was that I was infatuated with you. That I _am _infatuated. Ridiculous, isn't it? We're just friends. We've always been just friends until now. Just rivals. Just enemies. Just two people who like to use their Pokemon to beat up the other's Pokemon." A dry laugh. "God, May. Just... _god_. I think I'm in love with you."

Again she said, "What?"

And then it sank in.

"You just said--"

"I know."

Words, she knew, wouldn't be enough to describe that incredibly bittersweet and somehow satisfying feeling that washed over her as he kissed her again. The second time, she thought. It was the second time he had kissed her. And she didn't know why, but she loved that feeling.

"Drew," she gasped. His lips pressed against hers again, and her heartbeats became ragged. "Drew."

"Just be quiet," he groaned. He smothered her with another kiss, then broke away, panting. "Dammit, May. Somehow I don't think your parents are going to approve."

"Really," came the sarcastic answer. The touch of her hand made him look up, and their eyes met. Each drank in the sight of the other's eyes. "Drew," she murmured. A smile. "I love the sound of your name."

"Do you?" almost breathlessly.

"I love the color of your eyes. They're so pretty." Her hand reached up to his face, brushed the skin of his cheek. She felt him shudder as he closed his eyes. "They're so pretty that fangirls chase after you night and day."

"What a crazy description," he murmured, but let her continue.

"And you're arrogant and pretty and you throw roses. And you just might be gay."

"Oh god," he laughed.

"And I think I'm in love with you, too."

"Well, one can't be in love by themself, can they?"

"No." She slid her arms around his neck, a gleam in her eyes. "They can't."

"Oh, yes," he growled, and they both laughed.

They simply laughed.

_**~roses~~~~~~~~~~~~~~**_


	10. Kitchen

She was afraid. He could tell, by the small movements she was making, the _way_ she was glancing at him, then the door, then back at him again, that she was scared and frightened and wanted nothing but to get this over with.

"My parents--" she had said earlier, uneasily, "--well, my dad is one of those overly protective ones. Maybe not overly protective, but protective. I'm not sure he'd--"

And she had stopped uncomfortably in the middle of the sentence, undoubtedly remembering what had happened between the two of them.

Of course nothing had really _happened_ happened. A few words and a kiss - several, actually. He could still feel it now, even just by looking at her. All it would take was just a few motions - he could just reach out and take her wrist and pull her close again, press his lips first to her neck, then her cheek, then her lips. It wasn't that difficult. It didn't take much thinking. But of course he knew that he was afraid as well, even though he had known her for so long and had met her parents before, only this time--

May's mother opened the door and seemed slightly taken aback at Drew's presence. "Oh. Hello. Drew, is it?" a somewhat confused smile on her face.

"Mom." May caught her mother's eye and took a breath. "Drew let me stay at his place last night. We got caught in the rain, and then it was very late, so..."

"It was my fault," Drew added quickly. "I wasn't thinking; the clouds were already pretty dark by the time I met her."

The two of them watched as Caroline gave them a knowing smile. "Oh, you kids. Drew, would you like to come in?"

He accepted, not knowing what it could mean. Was the woman approving of whatever she saw between them?

" 'Kids'?" he whispered to May as they walked down the hall. "I hardly think we're still 'kids'."

The other Coordinator smiled. Normally she would have giggled, but now she smiled because she was all nerves and jumpy and unsure. "She's a mom. She thinks of everyone our age as a 'kid'."

"Makes sense." _How comforting of me,_ he thought dryly.

They entered the living room, and Drew sat on one end of a couch while Caroline pulled May into the kitchen. "Drew, do you want some water?" the mother asked before she left the room. He nodded and said thanks, that would be fine, and the two had left him alone to look around the room.

He was impressed. The design of the room was spacious and airy; it had a modern touch - some decorations here and there - but not too modern. It gave the visitor a sense that the one who had designed it was a thoughtful person, someone who spent lots of days outdoors absorbing sunshine. It was a cheerful room.

_More than I can say for myself now,_ he thought to himself. _I hate to admit it, but I'm nervous. I'm actually nervous. And I'm supposed to be the perfect one._

A sound startled him out of his thoughts, and it took him a second to realize that it was the sound of a door closing behind him. With a jolt he stood and turned in one swift movement, hoping against hope that it was not who he thought it would be, it was not the reason his heart was pounding frantically against his chest - but it was, and the gym leader of Petalburg City spoke.

"Well, hello," Norman said in a friendly tone - or at least what passed for one in the world of men. "I see it's Drew." A sigh came from him - a sigh of mostly relief. "Max told us about you."

_**~roses~**_

Caroline had closed the door behind herself and her daughter, and now a giggle erupted from her. "May!" she nearly squealed. "I'm so happy!"

"M-mom!" May stammered.

"He's so handsome and accomplished and so _responsible_, too! I'm going to force your dad to approve. There is just no one better - May, I think he's perfect."

"But we haven't told you anything," May said, lost.

"It's so obvious, though," Caroline said, smiling still. "He's got eyes only for you."

"They _are_ very nice eyes," her daughter said jokingly. Caroline laughed.

"Yes, they are. Even nicer than your dad's. Of course, don't tell him that. I'm sure he'd like to think that he has the best eyes in the world."

"Mom, you're so silly." The Coordinator sighed. "I don't really know, though. He can be really arrogant sometimes."

"Does he compliment you?"

"Does he?" She thought back.

_You're so cute when you're mad_, he had said before. And when she had asked him if he was - gawd, it was so awkward once she thought about it - attracted to her, he had said _Very._

And of course, they had kissed.

"May, you're thinking about something the two of you did, aren't you?"

"No," she said quickly. "We didn't do anything."

Caroline's eyes gleamed. "Nothing?"

"Nothing."

"Not even kiss?"

May's face colored.

"Ah, so you _did_. How was it?"

May blinked. "What?"

"How was it? Is he a good kisser?"

"God, Mom, how am I supposed to know? I've only kissed a few guys in my entire life. You can't expect me to know this kind of stuff."

"A few guys is enough," Caroline said nonchalantly. "So. Is he?"

"Y-yes," warily.

"Do you like him?"

"Of course! He's arrogant and pretty and he throws roses at me, Mom! How can I not like him?" She laughed a bewildered laugh, not knowing if she should go on. "And he challenges me and doesn't just let me have my way every time but he's so _sweet_ sometimes. Well, I can't really call it sweet," thinking back on some of his actions, "but he's hot. I can completely understand why he has so many fangirls."

"Sounds good enough," her mother said, filling a three glasses with water and handing two to May. "Here. One's for Drew. Now, in you go."

She opened the door to the living room and pushed her daughter in, holding the two glasses and suddenly very afraid, because _her father was there._

_**~roses~**_

Drew watched as May walked in and stopped, face filling with a mixture of fear and relief.

_How can someone be afraid and relieved at the same time?_ he wondered to himself, then returned to the situation at hand.

Norman had just greeted him. May had just entered the room and frozen.

Wonderful.

"Dad." May walked forward, smiling stiffly. "Hi. This is Drew."

"I see. Hello, Drew," and he shook the Coordinator's hand. It was a firm grip, but it didn't speak of disapproval. At least, not outright disapproval.

"Hello, Norman. It's good to finally meet you. I've heard a lot about you," he said lamely.

"The same can be said for me about you. So." He released Drew's hand and gazed at the young man and his daughter. "Do you have some business with me?"

"Norman," came Caroline's voice. The woman stood in the doorway, giving her husband a _look_. Norman blinked as he registered the meaning.

"Oh. I see. I'm coming." The man disappeared into the kitchen with his wife, evidently to have a talk not unlike the one she had just given May.

Drew heaved a sigh of relief. "I hope your father's not like Max."

"He isn't. He's much better than that little brat." May sat on the side of the couch opposite from where Drew had been sitting earlier, placing the two glasses of water on the coffee table. "But he's still protective. Not too much, though. I just hope that he'll..." she trailed away. He could see her cheeks redden.

"Approve?" he supplied helpfully.

"Yeah."

The green-haired Coordinator sat back down. "You have no idea how much I hope that."

"Don't I?"

"No, you don't have any idea."

"Well, I think I do. Kind of."

Their eyes met. They looked away.

"Yes, I think you do." Drew gave her a wry smile. "You do."

"Yeah." She lifted her head to look at him. "Drew?"

"What?"

"I... think... you're a good kisser."

"Why wouldn't I be?" He stopped and backtracked. "I mean. You're a good kisser too."

"Am I?"

She was blushing - just barely, he could barely tell - and she wanted him to go on.

"Yes."

Why was it that before it was so _easy_ to tease her, seduce her, make her want to know what he would do to her once he had the chance, but that now he could hardly even speak?

"Want to try it again?"

He surprised himself by following that one sentence up with a kiss - light - but he pulled away quickly when he heard a sound at the door.

"May," Norman said, coming back into the room and hesitating, because for some odd reason it looked like the two of them were deliberately trying to avoid looking at each other. "What...?"

"What?" May asked innocently, the mere hint of a blush on her face.

"Er. Nothing." The Petalburg gym leader turned to Drew. "Drew, my wife and I have something to talk to you about."

_My death knell_, the young man thought, as he followed them into the kitchen. _The kitchen is starting to become a place of terror._

_**~roses~**  
_


End file.
